Towing & Wheel Base

[DStinson]

Any advice on shortbed vs. longbed and towing? I'd think the longer wheelbase will handle trailer sway better and give more fifth wheel clearance.

 

[TRCM]

YES, it will. It will also be easier to back up with a bumper pull, but slightly harder with a GN.



Really, it all depends on how you oversteer. The shortbed will change direction faster, but that will also get you in trouble backing up faster.

 

[klenger]

For a gooseneck or 5th wheel, the long bed is a lot simplier as you don't need a sliding hitch, which isn't available for a gooseneck anyway. Some more info on what you plan to tow would help us.

 

[LesStallings]

I was able to buy my GN trailer cheaply because the original owner did not realize he could not make sharp turns with his short bed pickup. The trailer was 3 months old and had one small dent right where his cab hit the trailer. His mistake saved me $4K.

 

[C. Harlan]

my neighbor did the same thing... Bought a truck, and a few weeks after, the whole back of the cab on the drivers side was crunched and crumbled in. I could never own a short bed, because once you put a toolbox in the bed, you don't have much room left. When I put my big ice chest up against the toolbox, I can hook my GN up, and not have to worry about the cooler moving anywhere... If it was a short bed, I would have to probably load the cooler behind the ball, IF there was enough room. .



If you are going to be towing a GN, go with a long bed! Otherwise, don't say we didn't warn ya!



-Chris-

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

The longer wheel base will be better for turning, backing and more storage, but I don't know about trailer sway. If stability is something you're worried about, check out a long box dually. I started with a short bed without a slider and I didn't have any problems. You just have to pay close attention when backing. I went to a long bed for storage reasons. I live in my 5th wheel and travel alot with my wife and child who seem to accumulate a large amount of *****.

 

[msperos]

Having just gone from an 01' quad cab short bed to an 05' quad cab long bed dually, I can say that it does handle cross winds and sway much better. The wheel base does make a difference.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Your 05 is a dually, was the 01 a dually also?

 

[Mundgyver]

I have a 2001 SB and don't have any problems. I pretty much tow what I want (23,000lbs). Manuvering is not a problem and I have had the rig over 90 degrees with no problems. Its all in the setup. Bed length does not matter if you have the set up right.

 

[RustyJC]

Bed length does not matter if you have the set up right.

It may not with a gooseneck, but it does with a 102" wide 5th wheel.



Rusty

 

[Froadin]

I have hauled many goosenecks with my 01 short bed, and actually prefer it for most of those trips. It is MUCH easier to manuever in tight spaces then a long bed, let alone DRW.

I have also hauled my 5th wheel around alot, and even though it tows like a DREAM, I have to watch my angles. A slider hitch would have solved this though.

The 05 DRW I have is mainly for ranch work. The 01 with the short bed is great for getting around in the cities, parking garages, PARKING, etc. The short bed allows you to go just about anywhere you want when your not towing.



As for stability, that is VERY hard to compare as my trucks are completely different beasts. The DRW is obviously better, and the new truck drives like a dream. But the 01 short bed towed everything I had without problems. I never towed a bumper pull RV though, so I can't say on that one. But I know they do like to sway if not setup properly.

 

[Mundgyver]

The key is to be properly set up. If you drive a short bed like I do and you are going to tow an RV that is 102 inches wide and want to be able to make the turn without smacking the cab, you have to invest in the gear (slider hitch or an offset on the trailer) to do it. It all boils down to attention to what your set up is designed to do. An RV towed from the bumper will wag like a dogs tail if it is not loaded right for weight distribution. A 5th wheel or gooseneck offers stability advantages in that the pin is forward of the axle and you are distributing the weight to all 4 wheels. But the biggest factor is the driver and his use of knowledge. If you tow like a maniac and overdrive the conditions of your set up or leave the common sense of safety behind during the setup of the tow, then you will most likley have problems. If you take your time and approach the setup with care and planning and drive within a safety margins of prudence and situational awarness, then the problems are minimal if any. These trucks are capable of towing whatever we want, whether they are a longbed, shortbed, 2500 or 3500.

 

[RustyJC]

The key is to be properly set up. If you drive a short bed like I do and you are going to tow an RV that is 102 inches wide and want to be able to make the turn without smacking the cab, you have to invest in the gear (slider hitch or an offset on the trailer) to do it.

I'll agree with you regarding the sliding hitch. An offset pinbox won't help at or approaching a 90 degree angle. At that point, the width becomes the limiting factor - the 5th wheel will just hit farther toward the outside of the cab. Ken Lenger (klenger) has some graphical data on his website (see his signature links) that illustrate this very well.



Rusty

 

[FJfonda]

Towing is best with a long bed, 4 door dually. Sway is more of a rig set up but road chop and overall ride is greatly reduced with a longer wheel base.

 

[GWBourne]

im a short bed guy. . BUT im a dually needer. . SO. . yeah, i will be changing my short bed to a dually in the future. the wheelbase on a short box quad cab like mine is identicle to a long bed dually standard cab. if pulling was my job i would have a long bed standard cab as to save on weight and hassle.....



i pull a 32 foot GN with mine and have had NO problems with it. would i like a lng bed? nope. ti much space that i dont use. my last tow rig was a long bed extended cab dually 4x4 98 chevy. loved the truck, but wished it was a cummins, 6 speed, 2 wd, short box... so i bought the truck i have now... .



now, if pulling a GN travel trailer then yes, cab clearance is a problem. i have turned my tripple axle a few times on the center axle. meaning i was turned 80ish degrees to the trailer. NO problems at all. does it sway? nope. not one bit. i have a 14 foot total height with a flat front as well. that will change soon.

Grant